A good friend of mine just reenacted my move from Phoenix to California for work and she’s finding that moving is not all rainbows and unicorns. She spent her 4th of July weekend fending off broken alarm systems, appliance delivery snafus, and seventeen (and counting) chipped dishes. So in her honor, I’ve decided to resurrect something I wrote last year at just about the same time to show her how fabulous moving can truly be:
I’m starting to get a tiny bit sad about all this moving nonsense, but I have a month left before I head to Cali, so I’m going to remain annoyingly positive.
I’ve spent the last week in a clean-out-every-crevice-of-my-home-induced funk and it’s given me a lot of time to focus on how utterly fantastic moving is. Allow me to elaborate:
1) Found valuables: I’ve found $432.71 in unused gift cards and only $425 of it was expired!!! And I’m enjoying the banana smoothie from Jamba Juice as I type.
2) Accidental tossing of new valuables: My Richard Marx Greatest Hits CD and three left earrings are going to make some garbage collector’s wife very happy.
3) BOX FORTS!!
4) Gluttony: I have 3 weeks to clean out my freezer without the use of a garbage can (personal goal). I may be bringing chicken cupcakes into work next week.
5) Moving sales: My garage is lined with crap so good it could be sold on the steps of international monuments.
6) Leasing agents: Watching them deflate like a balloon when you say your move-in date is “flexible” is such power.
7) Party planning: It’s not every day one gets to throw a “house-cooling” party. Plus it’s a great way to get rid of the mash up of leftover paper plates I have from my Halloween, Christmas and housewarming parties.
8) Tape guns: I don’t get to pack my own boxes but I bought myself a tape gun and damnit I’m gonna use it.
9) Moveritis: That carefree feeling that allows me to shrug off the air filters that need to be changed and the red wine on the mattress I’m about to sell – FLIP!
10) Furniture Tetris: I can’t look at a piece of furniture without mentally rotating it and maneuvering it into seventeen potential positions. I believe this will prevent early onset dementia.
So while moving can be the most utterly frustrating experience of one’s life, there are a few up sides. When the curtains are hung and the movers are long gone and the refund comes for the broken dresser, it all starts to come up roses. Welcome to California Rebecca!
White Elephant in the Room 
I know I’m weird, but I loooove moving. Love it. Sure, it’s a little annoying having to find new radio stations and someone to cut my hair, but I love getting lost in new places, discovering new restaurants, and purging everything I don’t want so I have a fresh start in the new place. Or maybe I just like being in a “transitional period” because no one ever asks me why I’m not getting anything done — I just moved. Duh. But now that I’ve been in this house a ridiculous 4 years (my husband is military — we should totally be gone by now), people are asking questions. Like it’s any of their business why I still have boxes in the garage or don’t want to get sucked into another 9-5 just to tack another short-term job onto my resume.
Anyway. I think my point is, just try to have fun with it. If you’re moving to southern Cali, it’ll be easy to take the occasional trip “home.” If you’re moving to northern Cali, consider me officially jealous. 😉
P.S. Even though this is ridiculously long already, I feel it’s important to clarify that I did have a job the first 3 years. I’m not a total bum.
that post/list was hysterical. props.
I’ve moved three times in the past two years, and I’ll probably move again in a couple of months…Thanks for pointing out the good sides of moving! I’ll keep it in mind, and I’ll start planning a “house cooling” party! 🙂
I love the term Furniture Tetris. I actually wrote a post on a similar theme- http://acleansurface.com/2011/07/06/organizing-is-like-doing-algebra-with-everything-you-own/
You bought your tape gun and dangit you’re gonna use it LOL, hilarious lol. Personally I hate moving. We had to move from North Carolina to Colorado. We didn’t have to pack our boxes either, but that first drive from NC to Co was horrible, especially with the pets in the truck.
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